UK Prime Minister David Cameron: 'It Gets Better'

Conservative British PM David Cameron speaks out in support of bullied gay teens.

"You don’t have to struggle on dealing with this on your own. Whether it’s your mum or your dad, or teachers, family friends or people who care about you and want to help you. Speak to them and you’ll feel so much better...Britain is a diverse, open, tolerant place. This is not the sort of country where we label people for being different."

Comments

I don't believe a word that comes out of his stupid face. The pathetic creature can't even bring himself to say the word 'gay'. The Conservative Party are notoriously homophobic, with a higher proportion of MPs voting against LGBT equality than in any of the large three parties. This pretty much sums it up. http://mygayvote.co.uk/
Members of the party also have a much higher degree of absenteeism than any of the other big three on LGBT votes, including David Cameron himself who was absent for 5 of the 13 pieces of legislation pertaining to LGBT rights and equality during his Westminster career.
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpid=40665&dmp=826
Mark my words, he is no friend at all of gay people, nor are the Tory party in general.

Posted by: BenB | Nov 19, 2010 11:50:48 AM

Still fair a lot better than the conservative American party on LGBT issues

Posted by: Mike C. | Nov 19, 2010 11:56:37 AM

Some of these straight people mean well but they are completely out of touch with reality when it comes to being gay in a homophobic world.

"Speak to your parents"? NO ONE treated me WORSE than my parents, particularly my mother, when I tried talking to them about being gay. They threw me out of the house and didn't speak to me or have any communication with me for over two years.

Telling gay kids who are struggling with sexuality, particularly kids who are young and dependent on their parents, to speak to their parents is TERRIBLY bad, and potentially dangerous, advice.

Posted by: TampaZeke | Nov 19, 2010 11:57:37 AM

By no means are the Tories perfect or near perfect. Every day that passes in the U.K. without full marriage equality is a sad one.

That said, can you imagine Republican Senator Mitch McConnell making an It Gets Better video? Can you imagine President George Bush making one? Or Sarah Palin? Never. Not in a million years.

The U.K. should be thankful that, unlike the American Republican Party, they have an (albeit imperfect) conservative political party that makes efforts to reach out to gay youth, to gay citizens, and to gay politicians. I dare say I'd be overjoyed if American Republicans could summon one ounce of what the Tories have got.

Posted by: RDRCK | Nov 19, 2010 12:01:37 PM

When blatant public homophobia becomes a step too far for the American conservative voter THEN, and only then, will Republicans take the road that the Tories have. The Tories didn't just have a change of heart based on the evidence. They changed their harsh anti-gay positions because British conservative voters came to a tipping point where they were less likely, instead of more likely, to vote for a Tory candidate if he/she was publicly and openly anti-gay.

We are a LONG way from reaching that point in America. Conservative voters in America almost DEMAND that their politicians and candidates be rabidly anti-gay. They still square off in primaries to see who can out homophobe the other. Biggest homophobe wins! One problem is that being anti-gay has become almost a prerequisite for Republican identity. I have no doubt that there are a lot of Republicans who are anti-gay ONLY because they are Republican and since the believe that Republican = anti-gay then they must be anti-gay. I think the Democrats have the same effect around the issue of "Choice".

Posted by: TampaZeke | Nov 19, 2010 12:50:21 PM

I hate the Tories, passionately. But I have to admit that, in spite of his record of anti-LGBT votes (or non-votes, as it were!), Cameron is making some kind of an effort to drag the party in the 21st century. A Tory councillor in England was recently expelled for anti-gay remarks and all. Gay voters in the UK shouldn't forget that this is all thanks to the Labour Party and Blair. Before 1997, no one cared about gay rights ...

Posted by: David | Nov 19, 2010 1:38:02 PM

"Can you imagine President George Bush making one?"

Yes, I can. Sadly, he's capable of that sort of dishonesty and eager to rehabilitate his legacy.

Posted by: BobN | Nov 19, 2010 1:57:08 PM

Tory party track record on gay issues is beyond abysmal....section 28/ Thatcher was a homo hater.......
Yet some of these posts are right......when homophobia becomes unacceptable in society we will be able to marginalise these bigots.

People who are condemning Cameron for this video, those here I mean, are really putting their own political agenda ahead of the good of the gay community. It is your right to do so, but don't pretend you are defending gay people in the process.

Some years ago, I talked with a man who had lived in Europe for a while. He told me that although Europeans give lip-service to equality and open-mindedness about sexual orientation, he experienced total ostracism. His exact words were, "It was pure hell." I get the distinct impression that many Europeans will talk a certain liberal line but don't practice what they preach. The so-called progressive spirit of the place is extremely deceptive.

Posted by: rjones | Nov 20, 2010 7:34:31 AM

rjones - one man who lived in Europe for a while eh? Wow. Well it must be true then. Anywhere in particular in Europe?? Or are we all just one homogenised blob? The fact that several EU member states have civil unions and marriages, gays/lesbians can serve openly in the military and can't be sacked from their jobs for being gay all count for absolutely nothing of course, because we are all just a bunch of homophobes. Bollocks. If thats the case, why aren't gay men everywhere in Europe escaping to the Land of the Free, the wonderful USofA huh?? The EVIDENCE (as opposed to the opinion of one man) simply does not back up his assertion and for every one anecdote you like yours, there are dozens who will tell you the exact opposite.

As for Cameron, for fucks sake, s.28 was 20 odd years ago. You cannot hold him responsible for that. Thatcher was born in the 20s, Cameron was born in the 60s. There is a world of difference between the two. Its a pity you refuse to see it. He is damned if he is supportive and damned if he says nothing. He has nothing to gain by doing this right now. But then some ppl here just love to hate others don't they?

Posted by: Atheist | Nov 20, 2010 3:19:46 PM

I applaud this effort and commitment. Can you imagine any republican in the U.S. does anything like this? Well, so far i haven't seen any. I only see how they insult their fellow American and work so hard just to make sure they can prevent LGBT community from being equal to their religiously lunatic supporters.